Hyderabad traffic police crack the whip against road-encroaching furniture stores

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Traffic Police registered a criminal case against four furniture stores near Lakdikapul and seized the furniture that was impeding traffic on the roads on Thursday.

According to Joint Traffic Commissioner AV Ranganath, all of the seized furniture will be presented in the court. "We will take criminal action against encroachers, citing trespassing (447 IPC) and wrongful confinement of road commuters (341 IPC), he added.

On Wednesday, Hyderabad traffic police booked 241 cases and removed 144 encroachments in various parts of the city. The measure was taken up as part of a special drive ROPE (Removal of obstructive parking and encroachments).

He continued, "We will first concentrate on major thoroughfares with heavy traffic. Because there are thousands of such establishments (encroachments) in the city right now, we will proceed in a phased manner."

Similarly, commercial establishments, which are doing their commercial activities without any permission, without any parking spaces and causing traffic problems will be given a notice first, and then criminal action u/s 341 IPC and 290 IPC will be initiated subsequently," Joint Traffic Commissioner Ranganath said.

"We will also request the GHMC to close such establishments that are operating without permits and causing serious traffic congestion," he further added.